'Call of Duty: Black Ops III' was the best-selling game of 2015

The Call of Duty franchise may be long in the tooth but gamers apparently can't get enough. Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIbeat out all others to become the best-selling game of 2015 according to a report from market research firm NPD Group.

In North America, Call of Duty has been the top-selling franchise for seven years in a row. That doesn't mean a Call of Duty game has topped the charts each of those years. Grand Theft Auto V, for example, took that crown in 2013. Either way, it's a nod to the game's incredible staying power.

The feat is even more impressive considering Black Ops III didn't launch until November 6, giving it less than two full months to outpace all other games on the year. Scott Lowe, Activision Communications Manager, said the Call of Duty franchise has sold more than 250 million units to date.

Madden NFL 16 finished in second place followed by Fallout 4, Star Wars Battlefront and Grand Theft Auto V. Rounding out the top 10 is NBA 2K16, Minecraft, Mortal Kombat X, FIFA 16 and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare.

Interestingly enough, sales in the video game industry - physical software, hardware and accessories - were flat year-over year with the NPD Group reporting a 1.5 percent slide in sales for the month of December.